UNIFORM FRESH PURSUIT LAW

Iowa Code tit. XVI, ch. 806

in effect

Iowa Code § 806.1 Authority of officers from another state.

806.1. Authority of officers from another state. Any member of a duly organized state, county, or municipal law enforcing unit of another state of the United States who enters this state in fresh pursuit, and continues within this state in such fresh pursuit, of a person in order to arrest the person on the ground that the person is believed to have committed a felony in such other state, shall have the same authority to arrest and hold such person in custody, as has any member of any duly organized state, county, or municipal law enforcing unit of this state, to arrest and hold in custody a person on the ground that the person is believed to have committed a felony in this state. [C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, §756.1; C79, 81, §806.1]

Iowa Code § 806.2 Procedure following arrest.

806.2. Procedure following arrest. If an arrest is made in this state by an officer of another state in accordance with the provisions of section 806.1, the officer shall without unnecessary delay take the person arrested before a magistrate of the county in which the arrest was made, who shall conduct a hearing for the purpose of determining the lawfulness of the arrest. If the magistrate determines that the arrest was lawful the magistrate shall commit the person arrested to await for a reasonable time the issuance of an extradition warrant by the governor of this state or admit the person to bail for such purpose. If the magistrate determines that the arrest was unlawful the magistrate shall discharge the person arrested. [C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, §756.2; C79, 81, §806.2]

Iowa Code § 806.3 Construction of statute.

806.3. Construction of statute. Section 806.1 shall not be construed so as to make unlawful any arrest in this state which would otherwise be lawful. [C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, §756.3; C79, 81, §806.3]

Iowa Code § 806.4 Officers from District of Columbia.

806.4. Officers from District of Columbia. For the purpose of this chapter the word “state” shall include the District of Columbia. [C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, §756.4; C79, 81, §806.4]

Iowa Code § 806.5 Definitions of terms.

806.5. Definitions of terms. The term “fresh pursuit” as used in this chapter shall include fresh pursuit as defined by the common law, and also the pursuit of a person who has committed a felony or who is reasonably suspected of having committed a felony. It shall also include the pursuit of a person suspected of having committed a supposed felony, though no felony has actually been committed, if there is reasonable ground for believing that a felony has been committed. Fresh pursuit as used herein shall not necessarily imply instant pursuit, but pursuit without unreasonable delay. [C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, §756.5; C79, 81, §806.5]

Iowa Code § 806.6 Chapter title.

806.6. Chapter title. This chapter may be cited as the “Uniform Act on Fresh Pursuit”. [C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, §756.6; C79, 81, §806.6]

Source: Iowa Legislature (legis.iowa.gov)URL: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/law/iowaCode/sections?codeChapter=806&year=2026Fetched: 10/20/2026